TweakTown News Posts - Page 58

It's likely only a matter of time before mobile payment apps become more popular among consumers, and there are some people very excited: restaurant waitstaff and bartenders. Both mobile payment app providers and restaurants have noticed an uptick in tips if consumers use their smartphones to make payments for food and drinks.

Customers may need to wait for their food order to be completed, but don't have to just sit and wait to pay. In addition, some apps allow restaurant patrons to check their bill in real-time, and even split it among the number of guests.

"We do see increase at bars where people haven't been tipping," said Michelle Songy, co-founder of the Cake mobile pay app, in a statement to CNBC. "I'd like to think as we are trying to make the payment experience a bit more fun, easier or quick it leaves you with a better experience."

We're only a couple of weeks into the Radeon R9 Fury X being on the market, but buyout rumors continue to flow onto the Internet, with Microsoft now reportedly interested in acquiring AMD.

KitGuru is reporting from their sources that Microsoft is interested in acquiring AMD, which would make sense. But, remember that Microsoft has a very tight relationship with Intel when it comes to their products and Windows. Microsoft also maintains a very close relationship with AMD, as their Xbox One is powered by an APU made by AMD.

Microsoft has a huge $95.3 billion in cash, so it wouldn't take much to buy AMD at their market cap of $1.81 billion right now. If you consider the current value of AMD right now, it is three times less than what AMD paid for ATI Technologies back in 2008. With analysts estimating that Microsoft pays around $100 per APU to AMD for its Xbox One, Microsoft has already shelled out $1.26 billion or so to AMD with its 12.6 million Xbox One units sold.

The creator of Mario, The Legend of Zelda and other popular game titles, Shigeru Miyamoto, is focused more on new video game development instead of the Nintendo NX.

Miyamoto is more of a software and gaming guy, but has contributed input regarding previous Nintendo hardware platforms - but seems more interested in just watching the hardware develop, and make sure future titles are able to run well on NX.

"I've pulled myself back out of some of the hardware section and I'm really focused on some of the software I'm involved in- for example, the new Starfox game," Miyamoto recently said to Forbes. "Of course, I am observing and looking at the hardware, but I am not actively participating and making decisions."

Last year, we spent more than $15 billion on video games in the United States, and gaming is one of the largest cultural mediums in the United States. A recent report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) outlined the types of gamers in the United States preferred:

As noted, 28.2 percent of games sold were action, ahead of shooter (21.7 percent), and the sales figures dropped from there. Taking the No. 3 position was sport games (13.3 percent), ahead of role-playing (9.5 percent), adventure (6 percent), and fighting (6 percent) - with racing, strategy, family entertainment, casual, and other titles fighting for the remainder of the market.

Of course, the ESA's stats changed drastically when it took a look at just the PC market, where strategy games accounted for 37 percent of overall sales.

Delphi and Google were both testing their autonomous vehicles in the Bay Area town of Palo Alto last week, and it looks like a close call never occurred. Reuters has defended itself after originally breaking the story on Thursday, with both Delphi and Google clarifying their versions of the story shortly thereafter.

"During a recent visit with Reuters, our Delphi expert described an actual interaction that we counter all the time in real-world driving situations," a Delphi spokeswoman told the media. "In this case, it was a typical lane change maneuver. No vehicle was cut off and the vehicles didn't even come close to each other. Both automated vehicles did exactly what they were supposed to do."

The Delphi autonomous vehicle and Google test car were about one lane width apart, and there was no immediate danger.

Elon Musk gets a lot of attention for his work as CEO of Tesla, but it would seem that SpaceX, his space company, holds true potential for human greatness. The company isn't designed to cater rich tourists into space, and Musk would rather launch satellites and ferry astronauts to the International Space Station.

NASA and other space programs hope to launch future missions to Mars, including a possible manned mission to the Red Planet. It seems that thought isn't necessarily lost on SpaceX, which continues to develop space rockets:

"I know for a fact that the guys within SpaceX already have a design for the engines and the rocket that would get to Mars," said Ashlee Vance, biographer of Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, in a statement to National Geographic. "Knowing the caliber of talent there, I trust that that part is feasible if not profitable. The colonizing part? That's still an enormous question."

It seems like gamers are interested in Steam machines, as Valve has sold out of "get it early" Steam Machines. The preorder allows gamers to get a Steam Machine one month earlier than the general public.

The Steam Machine runs the SteamOS, a customized version of Linux. Valve is working with Alienware, Syber and other third-party hardware OEMs so gamers will be able to enjoy a comfortable gaming experience. The hardware ranges in price from about $450 up to $1,500, and gamers still have plenty of questions regarding Steam Machines and SteamOS.

The "Get it Eary" Steam Machines sold out in less than one month. It's unknown how many units actually have been preordered, and if this is just a clever marketing ploy from Valve. If you missed out on the Steam Machine, it's still possible to reserve a Steam Controller, Steam Link, or Alienware Steam product.

Korean automaker Hyundai is heavily investing in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, expecting the eco-friendly technology to be a major business.

Since beginning production in 2013, Hyundai sold just 250 Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles, with most units sold in California and Europe. The company originally wanted to sell 1,000 vehicles worldwide - and despite the sales hiccup - Hyundai thinks hydrogen fuel cells will be a better opportunity than electric vehicles. There is increased vehicle design flexibility and less competition in hydrogen, as the electric vehicle market receives a tremendous amount of attention.

Hydrogen fuel cells can be refueled just as quickly as a traditional gasoline car, and have a larger travel duration than most electric vehicles. The fuel cell used in the US Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell car can get a bit more than 260 miles on a single charge.

Even though Nintendo is fully looking towards the future with its upcoming NX console, that doesn't mean it is going to just abandon 3DS and Wii U owners. Instead, new game titles and software updates will be made available for both systems, even while the company works on new technology.

"However, the 3DS and Wii U have install bases. Immediately cutting off software for previous hardware upon the release of a new machine is inefficient. We will continue making 3DS and Wii U software while preparing for the NX," said Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, while speaking to investors. "We are prioritizing satisfying customers who purchased the Wii U."

Details about the NX won't be released by Nintendo until 2016, even though gamers were hoping to learn more during E3. It's reportedly going to be a "new concept" from the Japanese gaming company, and shouldn't be considered an outright replacement for the Wii U.

Researchers have a strong curiosity about the red planet of Mars, and a manned mission one day seems like a possibility. However, the spacesuits used by astronauts aboard the International Space Station would need to be replaced with newer generation spacesuits, and some type of flexible spacesuit would be ideal.

The suits designed for space today must take into consideration an astronaut's ability to complete work in microgravity. The lower half of the suit is extremely stiff and makes moving around more naturally difficult - but increased mobility would be required for future space missions.

Astronauts must be able to twist, bend, and move around easily, especially if they needed to take soil samples or collect items from a foreign planet. A number of different prototype spacesuits are currently in development - and some are being tested - so there is hope that changes will be coming.